Methods for enhancing hydrocarbon recovery from oil sands

1. A method for extracting bitumen from ore, the method comprising contacting a process agent to the ore before a primary separation and adding water to form a bitumen-containing slurry, the process agent consisting of sodium silicate having a SiO 2 to Na 2 O ratio of from about 2 to about 10, and at least one of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, diethylenetriamine penta(methylenephosphonic acid), nitrilotris(methylenephosphonic acid), 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium silicate has a SiO 2 to Na 2 O ratio of from about 3 to about 6.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process agent consists of sodium silicate having a SiO 2 to Na 2 O ratio of from about 2 to about 10 and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the process agent consists of from about 90 wt. % to about 99 wt. % sodium silicate and from about 1 wt. % to about 10 wt. % ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

5. A method for extracting bitumen from ore, the method comprising contacting a process agent to the ore before a primary separation and adding water to form a bitumen-containing slurry, the process agent consisting of sodium silicate having a SiO 2 to Na 2 O ratio of from about 2 to about 10, dodecyl sulfate, and at least one of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, diethylenetriamine penta(methylenephosphonic acid), nitrilotris(methylenephosphonic acid), 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the process agent consists of sodium silicate having a SiO 2 to Na 2 O ratio of from about 2 to about 10 and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the sodium silicate has a SiO 2 to Na 2 O ratio of from about 3 to about 6.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the process agent is contacted to the ore at a concentration of about 40 to about 600 ppm.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the amount of bitumen extracted from the ore is increased as compared to the amount of bitumen extracted from the ore when the process agent is not present.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising contacting the bitumen-containing slurry with additional water to form a bitumen froth and coarse solid tailings.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising contacting the bitumen froth with a light hydrocarbon to form a bitumen product and fine solid tailings.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the bitumen product has less mineral solids and water as compared to bitumen product when the process agent is not present.

13. The method claim 11 , wherein the coarse solid tailings and the fine solid tailings have a pH below about 9.

14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the process agent comprises from about 20 wt. % to about 99 wt. % sodium silicate and from about 1 wt. % to about 80 wt. % ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of bitumen extracted from the ore is increased as compared to the amount of bitumen extracted from the ore when the process agent is not present.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting the bitumen-containing slurry with additional water to form a bitumen froth and coarse solid tailings.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising contacting the bitumen froth with a light hydrocarbon to form a bitumen product and fine solid tailings.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the bitumen product has less mineral solids and water as compared to bitumen product when the process agent is not present.

19. The method claim 17 , wherein the coarse solid tailings and the fine solid tailings have a pH below about 9.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process agent is contacted to the ore at a concentration of about 40 to about 600 ppm.